Discontinued Thermovape Cera (Original thread, closed because of chaos)
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Bluntcrush
Director of Vapor Research Labs™
Thanks so much for posting!!
JoeKickass
Well-Known Member
This one made me cringe:
It's easy to walk off a cliff too but that doesn't mean you'd want to do it...
Gammy
Gammy's getting upset!
ShipDit
1%
Congratulations and welcome to FC!
Think about it,in less than a month you'll be Vaping in style.
It's very cool that you care about it being made in the U.S.A.! That was one of the reasons I decided to support TET.
Now the waiting begins.....I recommend trying weed to pass the time.
When Cera does arrive please stop by and tell FC what ya think. Every little bit of info you share helps us all.
Tom Funk
Well-Known Member
Tim,
I have a question about the switch on the bottom of the Cera. Is it in a physically different position when it is turned on to when it is turned off ? The reason I ask is that I would like to be able to have a visual indication of wether the unit is on. I know that I can get the lighted version, but I wouldn't bother if I didn't need it.
Could you also give us some more information about suitable batteries. Do they need to be exactly 2900mAH? If not, what is the suitable range? Also, I notice that your batteries are flat-tops. Are button-tops OK?
Cheers
TF
I have a question about the switch on the bottom of the Cera. Is it in a physically different position when it is turned on to when it is turned off ? The reason I ask is that I would like to be able to have a visual indication of wether the unit is on. I know that I can get the lighted version, but I wouldn't bother if I didn't need it.
Could you also give us some more information about suitable batteries. Do they need to be exactly 2900mAH? If not, what is the suitable range? Also, I notice that your batteries are flat-tops. Are button-tops OK?
Cheers
TF
OF
Well-Known Member
Well I'm not Tim, but I can actually answer those questions for you, that's the good news part. The reason I can answer them is because I just got back from picking up my test unit just before Thanksgiving! It's mighty neat.....
But to answer your question, yes the bottom push-push switch shows an offset in when on of about 'a dime's thickness', very easy to feel as the rim around the button is sharp on the edge. Very nicely done, IMO. Likewise the safety switch on the side will have some tactile clue in the final version. Perhaps with different heads on the colored shaft ends (although it's a tiny shaft but something might be done there) or by making one mode (say 'off safe') stick out 2mm or so. If you can look, the colored band will tell you the status, of course.
The battery is noting special. I tried several 18650s and a 17670 they all fit fine and should work well. The battery they're having made for them is no doubt the best available in terms of battery life but lesser batteries should fit and work fine. They do have to be button top to work though. The flat top ones in the photos don't work without a lump of solder on them. The final batteries being made up will of course be button top.
Now to the bad part.....I broke it already. Well, to be completely honest, I had help. It was broken before. As it always seems to happen, one little part is not available in the right form yet, a tiny ceramic washer that makes part of the insulator for the core connector. There's one hand built one in the known world so while I waited they switched it to a brand new core and heater for me to start working with with the agreement I'd come back and get a couple different power cores to run tests on as soon as they get the correct parts in (a few days, hopefullly). Because it's ceramic, tiny and the only one it broke when they moved it over. Putting it carefully together with the broken parts in their correct positions got it to light so I took it and went home. So it died just as I got it up to temperature......Murphy never misses and easy bet.
So now I've got to sit and stare at it until TV can make up another core. It's worse than looking a photos I'll tell you.
In a couple of words, it's beyond neat. TV seems to have addressed every concern we raised, and a few others as well. This is a 'form follows function' machine of the first order. If you started out with the idea to use the 18650 battery, put a better switch scheme on it, improve the core design and efficiency, stop the airpath from clogging, provide an 'all glass' vapor path (actually a ceramic arguably 'cleaner' than glass), remove threads from routine operation, eliminate stirring and make it easier to disassemble you'd probably end up with a similar unit......if you were smart enough.
Here's the jaw dropper for me, this sucker isn't garden variety alumina ceramic....it's Zirconia! The extra weight is an instant clue. You know those big buck ceramic knives Kyocera sells? Yup, that's the stuff. A special very stable grade of it called "stabilized Zirconia". The stuff they make critical jet engine parts from. Used for the body of our new vape.....
You will not be disappointed when you get yours, trust me.
Anyway, suddenly I know the answers to lots of the questions we've been tossing around (like, no, there won't be colors....you can't color this stuff, it's too tough). There's basically no plastic left (there was a tiny teflon button in T1) above the switch plate. Nothing but metal with 1300 degrees as the lowest rating and ceramic after you take the rings off. You can not only boil the core, you can torch it if you want. All you want, although I can't see why you might want to.
As we guessed improved insulation has allowed them to lower the power a lot. Values I'll be testing are in the range of 1/3 to 1/2 the power of T1 based on their tests of the one working final unit (some of who's parts are now in my test unit....). The battery is 2900 mAh so the 'five times the battery life' seems quite possilbe. Remember since were going to be in the 'one to two C' current level with this we'll get closer to 'nameplate capacity' from the battery (beating them up like T1 does costs capacity, in SV we only got 500 mAh of the promised 700).
Anyway, that's the good news/bad news on the topic. I've got the first Beta unit and broke it already. Hopefully TV is still on track to get the last few details worked out (like final power for the heater, color coding on the safety switch, decision on the switch shaft heads, etc) in time for the expected release date. This is a radically different beast in design details and construction. Lots fewer parts, very little metal (and that mostly SS not plated Aluminum) and more 'off the shelf' parts (like standard screws). They've done a bang up job IMO, and have paid the big bucks for tooling for ten total custom Zirconia parts.....and that ain't cheap or easy to change.
BTW, some of those Zirconia parts are used 'as fired', some get machined 'green' (dried but not fired into final crystal form) then fired.
My initial take is TV just rendered all their previous products, good as they are, obsolete. This sucker is built to last and work hard. A wonderful thing to behold, really. Elegant.
I'm really excited about the oil version, hopefully that's early next week.
Happy Thanksgiving to all, I've got to get back to taking it apart and putting it back together some more. So cool.
OF
OF
Well-Known Member
Quetzalcoatl
DEADY GUERRERO/DIRT COBAIN/GEORGE KUSH
OF, mind picking me up at the airport? Think I can scoop up BigDaddy on the way to LAX, maybe see if Purpl3 wants to come too. Adobewan? Where are you? $10 for gas and I can get you too 
OF
Well-Known Member
Sinclue
OK disagree with me, I can't force you to be right
He may be bound by an NDA...not allowed to show internal details or things like that.
BLAZING OG
Vaping is a way of life!
PB88123
Vaporist
jambandphan03
in flavor country
Glad you got your new toy OF, shame it's just eye candy at the moment. I'm sure you are still making the most of the situation. Enjoy!
PB88123
Vaporist
I would say roughly 0.09g. So like 10 or so bowls if you have a gram.
OF
Well-Known Member
It's 20% smaller than T1 I'm told. I make it about 1/8 gram (.125 grams). Roughly on par with MFLB, DV and the New Vapor Blunt I was just trying out. About 3 PD stems or half a load for Puffit if that helps?
Mighty close. Coarser grind or less dense bud could make it ten to the gram not 8 I'd think. Not a lot, but it will reload fast as you can do it with the heater on without having to mess with threads. Twist the cap a bit and pull, dump it out, add a pinch more and push the cover pack twisting it a bit as you go and pull some more. Should be easy once gets hot enough.......
I tried. But it turns out you can only take it apart and look at it so many times before you get bored with that and really really want to fire it up. Lucky thing is they said they hope to have another core for me tomorrow (today actually, Thanksgiving no less) seems they (Nate and Noah) are going to put a few more hours in before the big dinner. If they can pull that off before my Holiday plans get going I'm ducking over to get it.......
OF
wonderfox
Active Member
I was hoping it'd be a huge load to put me off buying. I'm already getting the INH XP, now I'm going to have to get this one too! I'm going to be very poor come Christmas 
EDIT: I think I've just made a massive U-turn and will get the Cera INSTEAD of the XP. Now to play the waiting game..
EDIT: I think I've just made a massive U-turn and will get the Cera INSTEAD of the XP. Now to play the waiting game..
Bluntcrush
Director of Vapor Research Labs™
OF, mind picking me up at the airport? Think I can scoop up BigDaddy on the way to LAX, maybe see if Purpl3 wants to come too. Adobewan? Where are you? $10 for gas and I can get you too
What about me??? You totally left me out! I will have to show up to the party late in my fancy rental car!
Happy Thanksgiving friends!!
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